Nelson's Lady Hamilton by Meynell, Esther (surface ebook reader txt) 📕

upon her " dear Milady," the King pressed favours on Nelson's more reluctant acceptance. Even when sending him a sword which had descended to him from his father, Ferdinand had to urge that it was a mark of gratitude " which cannot hurt your elevated and just delicacy." A more substantial sign of his immense obligations to the admiral was the gift of the Dukedom and revenues of Bronte. Lady Hamilton, who herself thought so much of titles, had the pleasure of informing Nelson of the King's intention on the second day after their return to Palermo. It is said the King had himself spoken of it earlier, and that Nelson had begged to decline the royal gift, whereupon Ferdinand asked him, " Lord Nelson, do you wish that your name alone should pass with glory to posterity, and that I should appear ungrateful ? "

Nelson was always readier to render services than to receive material rewards, and he was fully justified in his proud boast to Alexander Davison at this time: " I might have before received money and jewels, but I rejected them, as became me, and never received one farthing for all the expenses of the Royal Family on board the Vanguard and Foudroyant. This I expect from the Board of Admiralty, and that they will order me a suitable sum. It has been

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honour, and not money which I have sought, nor sought in vain."

At this time Palermo was all fifes and flattery ; but Nelson wrote to Rear-Admiral Duckworth on the 16th of August: " We are dying with heat, and the feast of Santa Rosalia begins this day : how shall we get through it ? " Even Lady Hamilton had drooped : " Our dear Lady has been very unwell, and if this fete to-night do not kill her, I dare say she will write to you tomorrow, for there is none she respects more than yourself."

On the 3rd of September, which was the anniversary of the day the news of the Nile reached Naples, all the resources of the Sicilian Court were put forth to celebrate the occasion with befitting splendour. The King's palace and gardens at Colli were brilliantly illuminated; the battle of the Nile was displayed in fireworks, with a most impressive representation of the blowing up of the great French flagship Orient. Lieutenant Parsons, who was there, has written a flowery description of "the fairy scene presented by the illuminated palace and the gardens, the assembled royal family, the great in rank, the bold in arms, with Italy's nut-brown daughters, their lustrous black eyes and raven tresses, their elegant and voluptuous forms gliding through the mazy dance; and the whole presided over by the Genius of Taste, whose Attitudes were never

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equalled, and with a suavity of manner, and a generous openness of mind and heart, where selfishness, with all its unamiable concomitants,

pride, envy, and jealousy would never dwell "

Here the good lieutenant gets a little bewildered with his own phrases, and suddenly pulls up and says bluntly, " I mean Emma, Lady Hamilton."

Kind Emma certainly was on all occasions, and even amid this distracting scene, where there were so many important people calling upon her, she attended to the excited middies, and snatched a moment to win five pounds for them at rouge et noir, guessing that the state of their finances might be low. Emma's hand and Emma's flamboyant taste may be traced in the details of this festivity, and especially in what Lieutenant Parsons describes as "A temple erected to the goddess of Fame, who, perched on the dome, was blowing her trumpet; under the portico was seen an admirable Statue of our gallant hero, supported by Lady Hamilton on his right, and Sir William on his left. These statues were imposing and excellent likenesses. As we approached, the king's band played ' Rule Britannia/ At once silence prevailed. His present Majesty of Naples (then Prince Leopold) mounted the steps behind the large statue of Nelson, on which he placed a crown of laurel, richly inlaid with diamonds. The trumpets then blew a point of war, and the bands struck up

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with great animation, ' See the conquering hero comes!' Lord Nelson's feelings were greatly touched, and big tears coursed each other down his weather-beaten cheeks, as on one knee he received the young prince in his only arm, who, with inimitable grace, had embraced him, calling him the guardian angel of his papa and his dominions. All who were susceptible of the finer feelings, showed them by their emotion; and many a countenance, that had looked with unconcern on the battle and the breeze, now turned aside, ashamed of their womanly weakness."

This was the gala side of life at Palermo. But with the more serious aspect of affairs Nelson was thoroughly dissatisfied—fretted, over-| worked, restless, with a heart ill at ease, and a temper irritably resentful of even the delicate and respectful warnings as to his conduct at the Sicilian Court, which were sent to him from headquarters at home. Because his own conscience was disapproving, he was morbidly sensitive to any suggestion of slight or reproof. To Lord Spencer he wrote, on one occasion, like a hurt child, " Do not, my dear Lord, let the Admiralty write harshly to me—my generous soul cannot bear it." He felt, not unjustly, that he was entitled to the chief command in the Mediterranean ; but the Admiralty only entrusted him with it during the temporary absence of Lord Keith— from September, 1799, to tne en< ^ of the year.

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Possibly it was felt at home that Nelson's ardour for the cause